24177

 

II*  

Designated  

19/10/2000  

19/10/2000  

The Great House  

 

Monmouthshire  

Grosmont  

Abergavenny  

Llangua  

339291  

225910  

 

On steeply sloping ground on E side of minor road, some 500m S of the A465 road junction to Llangua.  

 

 

C17 two-unit with cross passage plan. The symmetrical front shows Renaissance influence on the regional style in mid C17, with fine surviving C17 plasterwork in the ground-floor parlour and upper chambers. Hall and Parlour were partitioned, probably in the C19, when the former fireplace stair was blocked and a new stair inserted in the cross passage. Since then there have been relatively few internal changes and the house still retains a strong historic character. A photograph of the house c1904 in Bradney's 'History of Monmouthshire' shows the W front formerly had 3-light transom windows and a large attic dormer.  

Painted rubble, slate roof with tile ridge, stone stack with moulded cap. Two-and-a-half storeys plus basement. W front is symmetrical. First floor has segmental arched window openings with stone voussoirs and shallow stone sills; large C20 windows to left and right and smaller C20 window in centre. Ground floor has central entrance doorway with C20 gabled canopy, and is flanked by similar window openings on each side. Entrance door is boarded, with rectangular 3 -pane overlight. Garden front, first floor (left) has broad C17 window opening with angled dripstone (now partly blocked, with inserted 2-pane casement), and 1+1 pane casement (right). Ground floor central entrance doorway; to left is broad C20 window (left); each side of lintel are returned ends of former C17 angled dripstone; to right is 2-light transom with cambered brick window-head. S Gable, ground-floor has C19 3-pane metal casement under voussoired arch and first floor (right) similar arched window opening with C20 2-light casement.  

Entry into cross passage, with hall (left) and parlour (right). Parlour and chamber above retain rare C17 plasterwork, including fragments of moulded cornice and paterae to ceilings, and fleur-de-lys decoration to walls. Hall has wide transverse ceiling beams with unusual mid-C17 hollow and ovolo mouldings and chamfered joists with scroll stops, and fine early C18 wooden bolection moulded fireplace surround with reeded shelf. Partitioned attic of four bays; roof trusses have tenoned collars and three tiers of purlins, the bottom purlins chamfered. Basement has well-preserved transverse and axial post and panel partitions; chamfered posts with scroll stops.  

Substantial C17 two-unit house retaining unusually well-preserved interior detail, including fine plasterwork.